Many forms of apparatus utilizing several different principles are known in the prior art for separating liquids from solids or semi-solids and paste. These include vessels for draining, decantation, centrifugation and more highly complex forms of dryers of many types. However, with much of the prior equipment or apparatus separations are not readily carried out when a high viscosity paste or semi-solid is of a lower density than the low viscosity liquid with which it is mixed. Most centrifuges operate to separate a higher density solid, paste or liquid from a lower density low viscosity liquid. In those centrifuges designed to remove the high viscosity material axially this is particularly difficult to accomplish when the high viscosity material does not flow readily at low pressures. On the other hand, when the lower density semi-solid material floats upon the lower viscosity liquid, unless compacted into a paste-like consistency it will not thoroughly separate by simply draining away or decanting the low viscosity liquid and losses of uncompacted solids or semi-solids will result.
One such mixture of low viscosity liquid and high viscosity paste or semi-solid is a coagulated aqueous latex of a polymerized elastomer. Axial flow centrifuges are plugged when attempting to separate a relatively high viscosity paste or semi-solid. Likewise, attempts to drain away the low viscosity liquid water from a coagulated latex of such a composition yields slow separation of the water and is not adapted for continuous operation. This invention provides a new and useful apparatus for effecting such separations.